Make Your Own Volcano

Make a volcano at home or school!

A volcano is produced over thousands of years as heat a pressure build up. That aspect of a volcano is very difficult to recreate in a home experiment. However this volcano will give you an idea of what it might look like when a volcano erupts flowing lava. This is a classic experiment in which a chemical reaction can create the appearance of a physical volcano eruption. You should look at pictures of volcanoes to be familiar with the different types. (A shield volcano, for example, is the most common kind of volcano, and yet few people know about them). The reaction will bubble up and flow down the side like a real volcano (only much faster!). Look for videos of volcanoes erupting and be sure that you understand how heat and pressure work to really make volcano erupt. Have fun!

To make an erupting volcano you will need:

A volcano - Talk to an art teacher about making a volcano out of paper mache or plaster. If you're in a hurry to make your volcano, use a mound of dirt outside. A container that 35mm film comes in. Red and yellow food coloring (optional) Vinegar Liquid dishwashing soap

What to do:

Go outside Put the film canister into the volcano at the top Add two spoonfuls of baking soda Add about a spoonful of soap Add about 3 drops of the red and yellow food coloring

The Plasma Dictionary is based on the Fusion & Plasma Glossary that was originally created on FusEdWeb, Fusion Energy Educational Website which has additional introductory information on plasma and fusion science .

A planet (from the Greek planete means "wanderer" or
more forcefully "vagrant, tramp") is an object in orbit around a star
that is not a star in its own right. Much like "continent," "planet"
is a word without a precise definition, with history and culture playing
as much of a role as geology and astrophysics

This is a "living glossary". This means that the glossary may grow every week as individuals submit new entries. This has been set up as a class resource for CEM-181H, the freshmen honors chemistry lecture at Michigan State University.